Major Layoffs At Hitman Studio IO Interactive

Update: Square Enix has provided a statement on the IO Interactive layoffs to Game Informer.

We are making significant changes at IO Interactive as we align our business against a changing and challenging market. Hannes Seifert, formerly Production Director for 3 years at the studio, will take over the position of Studio Head at IO. The studio will focus resolutely on the future vision for the Hitman franchise and is in pre-production on a new AAA Hitman project. However we have taken the difficult decision to cancel other studio projects and initiatives at IO and reduce the workforce in this studio, which will impact almost half of the employees currently at IO, as we make internal adjustments to face the challenges of today’s market.

For those affected, we are extremely grateful for the hard work which they have contributed, and where it’s possible and appropriate to relocate staff to open positions at other studios within the group, we will try to do so. We are also reaching out to other companies for outplacement opportunities. We sincerely wish them well in their future careers.

Meanwhile, if you are part of a company that is looking for additional development talent, please contact us directly at info@ioi.dk

Original Story:

According to reports, Square Enix has taken another step to bring its financial house in order. Develop states that today sees layoffs of approximately half the staff at Hitman studio IO Interactive.

A statement from the publisher indicates that three-year veteran production director Hannes Seifert will take over the reigns. The developer is currently working exclusively on a new, AAA Hitman title, with other projects put aside.

In addition to Agent 47's adventures, IO Interactive was responsible for Freedom Fighters and the Kane and Lynch games. Hitman: Absolution, the latest title in the series, was one of three games from last year that failed to live up to the publisher's lofty sales expectations.

Guess this was bound to happen sooner or later. Square Enix set their expectations too high, and now these people have to pay the price. It really is unfortunate, because they did their job well. I wish them all the best.

Also, those games: Hitman, and Tomb Raider-- they should release in the summer when there is a game drought. They are known titles but they can't beat out the money allocated for games like Halo, CoD, Battlefield, etc. Parents/ consumers can't afford to buy too many games within short succession of each other.

This is all on Square. Hitman sold 3.6 million copies and they're calling it a failure. Most dev/publishers would kill to have their games sell 3.6mil, but no, Square had to set their expectation so high.

IMO, Hitman, Sleeping Dogs, and Deus Ex are the only games they've pushed out in the last few years that were good. I'm sorry, but FF13 and its sequels are crap imo.

Hitman sold about 2 Million copies. yet they said it wasn't enough. I'm sorry, Square. If you thought Hitman was going to sell more, you're strongly kidding yourself. These guys need to learn how to manage a project.

Edit: I stand to be corrected. Apparently they sold 3.6 million copies. If that's not enough, you're failing.

And Still, so-called lovers of great games will still berate Microsoft for trying to give the publishers a helping hand. Gamers are going to be the death of Good Games. Thank you Microsoft for trying to keep great games coming.

I've never played a hitman game before but my girlfriend says they're good. Honestly though, wouldn't it be normal for a studio to have to let a few of the lower level people who worked on a game go after its completion and the patch cycle is almost done? I'd think that would be pretty normal

I figured this would be coming, the people at Square are insane. I just hope these layoffs don't extend to their other western developers like Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. These studios don't deserve to take the punishment for Square's bad decisions.

I feel bad for Square, but this is the way the market is. Square has been producing quality games (like the new Tomb Raider), and still they have to face lay offs. The problem is, it seems the game market may crash. My uncle, who works in the industry, says it will probably crash after Christmas, so we'll see.